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X^^ittgton 




TLhc Birthplace of 
Emerican Xibert^ 




DIU'M BEATEN AT THIO KATTI.E OF I.EXINUTOX 
BY WM. DIAMOND, NOW IN THE POSSESSION 
OF THE LEXINGTON HISTOHICAL SOCI- 
ETY. THE LONG ROLL ON THIS 
DKIM WAS THE FIRST OVERT 
ACT OF THE REVOLUTION. 



(\t9.'' ^ 



w-i W- 




IIAYKS .MKMdlllAl. lOINIAlS AM) STAIIK Ol l Al'IAIN JOHN I'AUKKU. 

i,i:xi.\'uTON ((iMMos. i)i:i)K ati:d 1900. 

lIKNin II. Kl ISON. St n.l'TOH. 



riic tniindat idii ,111(1 (li-iiikin^ liasiii arc of tldil stones. At tlir 
f::rouiid Icvt-I art- small basins (one on cithc-r sick-) for animals unable 
to drink from the printipal or iiorse basin. 



LEXINGTON 



BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY 



A HANDBOOK 

CONTAINING 

AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON PAUL REVERe's 

NARRATIVE OF HIS FAMOUS RIDE A SKETCH OF THE TOWN 

AND THE PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST INSCRIP- 
TIONS ON ALL HISTORIC TABLETS DIRECTORY 

MAP AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS 



Bv FRED S. PIPER 

•I 

HISTORIAN OF THK LEXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIKTY 



Copyright 190-2. 1910, 191j, by Lexington Historicfil Society, 



FOURTH EDITION 



LEXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

LEXINGTON 

1915 



M(.ir7^ 



THE OLD MONUMENT ON THE COMMON. 



S\(iiKi) lo LiiiKRTV iS: TiiK Ricirrs'oi" mankind!!! 

I'liK Khkkdom iV 1m)ki'km)p.n{ K t)t' America ,. 

Skai.kd i!v dkI'KNDKI) with tiik hi.ood of iikr sons. 

'I'lllS MoNl MKNT IS KRK(TKI) '■■•■'j'\ 

\S\ rilK INIIAIUTANTS OF LeXINGTON, 
L NDKU IIIF I'ATHONAOK (!v AT THE EXl'ENCE, OF 

The C'ommonw EAi.Tii of Massachusetts, : ,' 

To THE MEMOR\ OF THEIR F'eI.I.OW CiTIZENS, 

KNsKiN Robert Mtinroc. Mkss'\ ycwrt-j Parke)-, 

Samuel Hadley. Jcuiaihan Harrington. Jun' ., 

Isaac Muzzy, Caleb Jfarrvi^Qton xku John Brown 

Of Lf\in(;ton, i!v Asahel Poi ter iw W'omurn, 

Who fell on this field, the first \ htims to the 

Sword of British T^RANN^ & Oppression, 

On the MORMNCi OF THE EVER MEMORABLE 
NlNETEEN'l'H OF APRIL, An. DoM. \~~^. 

'I'liE Die WAS cast 1 1 ! 

lllE Bl.OOD OF THESE MaRTYRS, 
In the CAl'SE OF (ioD (Jt THEIR ColI^TR^ , 

W AS iHE Cement of the Union of these States, then 

C"ol.(»MEs; i\: (iAVE THE SPl{|\(i TO THE SPIRIT, FiRMNESS 

And RESOLUTION OF THEIR FeLI.OW CiTI/ENS. 
ThEV rose AS ONE MAN, TO REVENGE THEIR BRETHREN'S 

Blood, and at the point of iiie sword, to assert iS; 
Defend their native Rights. 
They nobl\ dar'd to be free!! 

The CONTEST WAS LONG, BLOODY iS: AFFE( TINfi. 

Righteous- Heaven approved the solemn appkai.; 

Vktorn crowned their arms; and 

The I^ea( i!, I,iufr'i\, iv I ndkpendence of the I'nited 

SrVTKS OF AmFRU \, U \S THEIR GI.ORIOI S RkW \HD. 

Built in the year lygg. 



INSCRIPTION BY REV. JONAS CLARKE. 

& , 7^4^ 



©CI.A40n02 3 

JUL (9 ISIS . 

mi 




MrsUOK TAVEUK 




T was in the gray dawn of that Aiiril 
inorniiiji' I i lo — A ftlorious nioniiiiy 
1(ii- Aimrica "* — wlien the Hoyal troops 
reached Lexinjiton Coiiimoii. 

They had heard the drum heat of 
I he inimite-iiien and advanced on 
" (h)uble (iiiick *" witli h>aded muskets. 
About seventy miiuite-men, brave 
(K'fenders of their rij^lils, had assem- 
bled to meet six hundred trained 
soldiers. "Too few to resist, too brave to tly," they did the 
best they could, .and after years of conflict here beyun, Ameri- 
can Liberty was born. The colonists had lony contended ayainst 
British o])pression. James Otis resipned his office as the Kinj>*s 
advocate and defended the rights of Bostonians,— the first stej) 
in the revolution. The stam|) act had been i)assed and i-t pealed. 
Patrick Henry had spoken out boldly in Virginia. 

The first Continental Congress met wSeptember .'i, 1774. 




sii.iioi i:i Ti: or 

HKV. JONAS ( [ AH Kl 



'I'lic ProNinci.il Conorress assembled 
one immtli later, assumed the govern- 
iiieiil (pt'tlic cdlou)', except in Boston 
wluTc tlif British troops were sta- 
tioned, took measures to or^janize 
unlitia (•omi)anies .and to prepare for 
resistance by force if necessary. Ex- 
ecutive |)o\ver was placed in the hands 
of the C'onnnittee of Safety, prominent 
members of which were Dr. .losejih 
Warren and John Hancock. 

A close watch was ke]it over the 
movements of the British soldiers. The Kino- had entrusted the 
government of Massachusetts to Gen. (iaoe, the commander of 
the British army in America. He was a man of weak character, 
and his petty and injudicious acts ajigravated the inhabitants. 

Laroe cpiantities of military supplies had been collected at 
Salem and Concord. Gaoe's attempt to take the stores at Salem, 
February 'i(>, 177'', resulted in a ridiculous failure. In March 
it was reported that he intended to capture or destroy the stores 
at Concord, whicii, from this time on, were carefully ouarded. 

'I'lie Provincial Congress, which liad been in session in 
Concord, adjourned April IT). 

The Connnittee of Safety adjourned at Concord April 17, 
and Samuel Adams and John Hancock, arch traitors in the 
estimation of the Royal govermnent, then became the guests of 
Rev. Jonas Clarki', i)astor at Lexington. Gen. (Jage kept his 
plans secret, and it is interesting to conjecture the part played 
b_v his wife who was the daughter of a New .lersey patriot. 

Gftrdon, wlio w;is cliaplain of tlu' l'ro\ incial Congress, says 
in his History of the Independence of the United States '": 
A daughter of liberty sent word by a trusty hand to Mr. 
vSamiiel Adams, residing in company with Mr. Hancock about 
thirteen miles from Charlestown, that the troojjs were coming- 
out in a few days — ."" Several liistorical writers seem to con- 
firm tlie iiejiel' I hat this " Daugliter oi" l.ibertv"" was the wife 



8 



of Gen. Gage, and tliat slie (iave Dr. Warren valuable informa- 
tion, whicli was sent by tlie 'trusty hand" of Paul Revere, 
and by William Dawes as well, to Adams and llaneock at 
Lexington. 

(General 'riiomas Gage born 17'21, died ITS?; married 
December H, l~F->H, Margaret Kembal, daughter of Peter Kem- 
bal. President of the Council of New Jersey. ) 

Relative to what followed, what can be more interesting 
or authentic than Paul Revere's own written narratix c ? 

The Saturday iiifiiit prccedinfi; the l!»tli of Aiiril. about twelve 
o'clock at night, the boats l^flonging to the transports wvvr ail launciu'd. 
and carried under thi' sterns of the men-of-war. (They had been pre- 
viously hauled up and repaired.) We likewise found that the grenadiers 
and light infantry were all taken off duty. 

From these movements we expected something serious w.'is to he 
transacted. On Tuesday evening, the iKth. it was observed that a 
number of soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the Common. 
About ten o'clock. Dr. Warnai sent in great haste for me, and begged 
that I would immediately set off for I>exington, where Messrs. Hancoek 
and Adams were, and ac(iuaint tiiem of the movement, and that it was 
thought they were the objects. When I got to Dr. Warren's house, I 
found he had sent an express by land to Lexington. — a Mr. William 
Dawes. The Sunday before, by 
desire of Dr. Warren, I had been 
to Lexington, to Messrs. Han- 
cock and Adams, who were at 
the Rev. Mr. Clark's. I returned 
at night through Charlestown; 
there I agreed with a Colont'l 
Conant and some other gentle- 
men, that if the British went out 
by water, we would show two 
lanthorns in the North Church 
steeple; and if by land, one as a 
signal; for we were a])prehensive 
it would be difficult to cross llie 
Charles River, or get over Boston 
Neck. I left Dr. Warren, called 
upon a friend, and desired liini lo 
make the signals. I Hun went 
home, took my boots and surtout. i:.\iti. i-Kiti v 




9 




went to tlic iiorlli part of 
the town, where I kept a 
boat; two fViciuls rowed ine 
across Charles liiver a litlh' 
to the eastward where the 
Somerset man-of-war lay. 
It was then younR- Hood, the 
ship was windinji-. and the 
moon was rising'. 

'I'liey landed me on the 
Chariestown side. When I 
got into town, I met Colonel 
Conant and several others; 
they said they had seen our 
signals. I told them what 
was acting, and went to get 
me a horse; 1 got a horse of 
Deacon l.arkin. While the 
horse was preparing. Rich- 
ard Devens, Esq., who was 

one of the Committee of Safety, came to me, and told me that he came 
down the road from Lexington, after sundown, that evening; that he 
met ten British otheers, well mounted and armed, going up the road. 

I set ofi' ui)on a very good horse; it was then about eleven o'clock, 
and very pleasant. After I had jiassed Charlestown Neck, and got 
nearly op[)ositi' wliere Mark was hung in chains. I saw two men on 
horseback under a tree. When 1 got near I hem I discovered they were 
British fjffieers. One tried loget aiiead of me, and the other to take 
nie. I turned my Imrse very (|uiek and galloped towards Charlestown 
Neck, and then puslied for the .Medford road. The one who chased me. 
endeavoring to cut me otl', got into a clay pond, near where the new 
tavern is now built. 1 go! clear of him, and went through INIcdford. 
over the bridgi'. and u|) to tenotomy. In Medford. I awakened the 
Captain of the Minute Men; and after tiiat. 1 alarmed almost every 
house, till I got to Lexington. 

I found Messrs. Hancock and Adams at tlie Uev. !\Ir. Clark's; I 
told them my errand, and eni|uiriil lor Mr. Dawes; they said he had 
n<it been tiiei-e; 1 i-(l.ded I he st ory < if t he I w o otru'ers. and Supposed tiiat 
he must have becTi stopped, as In- ought to have been there before me. 
After I had been there about half an hour. Mr. Dawes came; we re- 
freshed ourselves, and set o(T for Concord, to secure the stores, etc.. 
there. We were overtaken by a young Dr. Prescott. whom we found 
to be a higii .Son of Liberty. I told them of Ihe ten ofiicers that Mr. 



10 




11 



Devt'iiH met. anil lliat il was lUDhahlc we mifilit In- stopped before we fj-ot 
to Coneord ; ^'nr I siqipoMil llial after nifilil I licy divided themselves, 
and that two of Ihcni had lixcd themselvi's in such passages as were 
most likely to stoj) an\ intelligence goinj^' to Concord. 1 likewise men- 
tioned that we had l)elter alarm all the inliid)itanls till we got to Con- 
cord ; the young Doctor much ai)])roved of it. and said he would stop 
with cither of us, for the peo(ilc hct ween that and Coneord knew him, 
and would give the more credit to what wc said. We had got nearly 
halfway; .Mr. Dawes ami the Doctor stopped to alarm the people of a 
house; I was about one hundred rods ahead, when 1 saw two men. in 
nearly the same situations as those offieers were, near Charlestown. 1 
called for the Doctor and Mr. Dawes to come up ; in an instant I was 
surrounded by four; — they had placeil themselves in a straight road, 
tliat inclined each way ; they had taken down a jiairof bars on the north 
side of the road, and two of them were under a tree in the pasture. 
The Doctor being foremost, he came u|> ; and wc tried to get past them ; 
but they being armetl with pistols anti swords, they forced us into the 
pasture ; the Doctor jumped his horse over a low stone wall, and got to 
Coneord. I observed a wood at a small distance, and made for that. 
When 1 got there, out starteil six olhccrs. on h()rscl)ack. anil ordered 
me to dismount ; — one of them, who ajipeared to have the command, 
examined me, where I came from, and what my name was? I told 
him. He asked me if I was an express ? 1 answered in the atrirmative. 
He demanded what time 1 left 
Boston !' I told him : and aililcd. 
that their troops had catchcd 
aground in passing I he river, and 
that there woidd be ti\ <■ lumdrcd 
Americans there in a short time 
for I had alarmed the country all 
the way up. lie immediately 
rode towards t hose who stopped 
us, when all five of them came 
down upon a full gallo}) ; one of 
them, who I afterwards found to 
be a Major .Milchcll of the .M h 
Regiment. cla|iprd his pistol to 
my heatl. called me by name, 
and saiil he was going to ask mc 
some i|uestions. and if 1 did not 
give him true answers lie wdulil 
blow my brains out . 1 Ic I hen 
asketl me similar (|ucstions to 




I'diiriivrr or 

MA. Mill WIMLAM DAWES 



l!2 




MA.IOll IMTCAIliN 



those above. He then ordered me 
to mount my horse after searehinji- 
me for arms. He then ordered them 
to advance and to lead me in front. 
When we got to the road, tliey 
tm-ned down toward Lexing-ton. and 
when we had got about one mile, 
the Major rode up to the oflfieer that 
was leading me and told him to give 
me to the Sergeant. As soon as lie 
told me. the Major orderetl him. if I 
attempted to run. or anybody in- 
sulted them, to blow my brains out. 
We rode till we got near Lexington 
meeting-house, when the militia 
fired a volley of guns, whieh ap- 
peared to alarm them very mueh. 
The major incpiired of me how far it was to Cambridge, and if there 
were any other road. After some consultation, the Major roile up to 
the Sergeant, and asked if his horse was tired. lie answereil him he 
was — he was a Sergeant of Grenadiers, anil had a small horse* — then 
take that man's horse. I dismountetl and the Sergeant mounted my 
horse, when they all rode toward Lexington meeting-house. I went 
across the burying-ground and some pastures, and came to the Kev. 
Mr. Clark's house, where 1 found Messrs. Hancock and Adams. I 
told them of my treatnu-nt, and thej' concluded to go from thai iiouse 
towards Woburn. I went with them, and a Mr. Lowell, who w.is a 
clerk to Mr. Hancock. When we got to the house where they inlciHJcd 
to stop. Mr. Lowell and myself returned to Mr. Clark's to lind what 
was going on. When we got there an eUlerly man eanie in ; he said In- 
had just come from the tavern, that a man had come from Boston, who 
said there were no British troops coming. Mr. Lowi-ll and myself went 
towards the tavern, when we met a man on a full gallop, who told us 
the troops were coming up the rocks. We afterwanls met another, who 
said they were close by. Mr. Lowell asked me to go to the taxcrii with 
him, to get a trunk of papers belonging to Mr. Hancock. We went up 
chamber, and while we were getting the trunk. \\r Naw the Biilisli \(i-y 
near, upon a full march. We hurried t<)\\ar(ls Mr. Clai-k's house. In 
our way, we passed thi-ough the militia. There were about fifty. 
When we had got about one limulred yai-ds from the meeting-house, 
the British troops a])peared on hotli sides of the meeting Ikuisc. in 
their front was an officer on horseback. 'I'liey made a hall ; when I saw 
and heard a gun tired, whieh appearctl to \)c a pistnl. TIk n 1 ((nild 
distinguish two guns, and then a eonliuual roar of muskelry : \\licn we 
made off with the trunk. 

13 



Captain Parker commaiuled liis coini^any not to fire unless 
fired upon. 'I'lie liritisli approached on both sides of tlie nieet- 
in<i' house folh)\vinu the h-ad of Maj. I'itcairn, who ordered the 
niinute-nien t(t disperse. As ihey did not dis|)erse he repeated 
tlie order with added eni|)hasis. and iired his (jistol at them. 
Iv-ieh side claimed that the other tired first : but it seems con- 
elusive that the first shot canu- from the Hritisli, who fired two 
\olleys, the second with filal effict. ' The mimite-me-n returned 
a tew shots from tin- position lhe\ liad t.ikcn, and dispersed, 
continuin<>- tlie fire as best they coulii from tlieir places of re- 
treat. Relati\e to one of tlu^ minute-men, Edward Everett 
wrote in 183.") : 

Roman liistory docs ikiI fiirnisii mii ix.iiiiplc of bravery that out- 
shines that of Jonas Parl<tr. A truer luart ditl not bleed at Ther- 
mopylae. I'arkci- was often luaril to say. tiiat be tiie consequences 
what they might, and let otiu rs do wliat they jileased, he would never 
run from the enemy, lie was as <i,ood as ills word — better. Having 
loaded his musket, he placed his hat, containing liis annnunition. on the 
ground between his feet in readiness for a secoiul charge. At the second 
fire he was wounded and sank upon iiis iNnees ; and in tiiis condition, 
discharged his gun. While loading it again, ujion his knees, and striv- 
ing in the agonies of death to redeem lus iiledgi-. lie was transfixed by a 
bayonet: — and thus died on the spot where he Hrst stood and fell. 

After about lialfan 
hour's delay the Brit- 
ish |)roceeded to Con- 
cord, when- they wi're 
so warml\ received 
that they socui beoan 
their retreat oxer the 
same route. Ilicy 
were attacked, by the 

* See letter from Lt. 
Col. Smith to Gen. Gage 
written A])ril Ji. ITT.J. 
Proceedings of Mass. 
Hist. Soc. May 1S7(>. 
Also see DeBernicre"s 
Narrative. roMnsroNi: oi i.vrr. r.\HKi:u 



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ii.it li(M-injj army of patriots 
t'niiii a]] sides. The British 
(ilHcers tried to restore order 
.iinoii^ their soldiiMs and 
elieek the retreat hut in \ain, 
till they met Karl I'erey with 
reint'oreements half a mile he- 
yond Lexinoton Common to- 
ward Jioston. Here, under 
the protection of two field 
j)ieees and the reinforce- 
ments, the liritish had their 
first rest after sixteen hours 
steady marchin<>-. They re- 
mained in this vicinitj' aliout 
two hours,pilla<rinji' ''nid burn- 
ing- several l)uildin<>s, killiiifj 
cattle, etc. After caring- foi- tlu' wounded at Munroe 'I'avern, 
eatiny and drinkino- all that they could ji'et, thej' killed the bar 
tender, set fire to the house and resumed their retreat. Fortu- 
nately the fire was discovered and ext iniiuished before much 
damaye had been done. 

Seven Texinyton men (and one Wobui'ii man) were killed, 
and nine \\(iun(h(l on oi' neai' the Connnon in t he moiMiin;^', and 
8 were kilhd and I wounded in t lu- altenioon. Thus Lexinyton 
lost m(»re nun durin;^ the day than any other town, Danvers 
beiny second with a loss of 7 killed, ."> wounded, and I missino-. 
The total losses foi- (lu- day wire, l'ro\ incials, fit killed, ,'!(> 
wounded and r> missing : British, 7'! killed, I 7 !• woumlcd ami 
^(i missiny. Such, in brief wi're the events which, in I,exin<>- 
ton ushered in the Dawn of 1-ibertv. 



COl.. WIIIIAM MIMiOi;. 

i>iii)i;iii ^ si:it(;r. oi' 
( AT r. I' A i< K i;ii"s ( oM l'A^■^•. 



Ki 



TT was twenty years after the Pilorims landed at Plymouth 
and five years after Peter Bidkley settled at Concord when 
Robert Herlarkenden built the first house in Cambridge Farms. 
Canibridye, about this time, eom|)rised a larye tract of land 
extendin<>' from the Charles River on the South, alony- the 
Shawshine to the INIerrimac River on the North. 

The first settlement was near \ine Brook. Most of the 
meadows and some of the uplands were found free from wood 
and brush, ])robably havino- been burned by the Indians. Before 
these lands were ])ermanentl.\ settled, CVnnbridye |)eo|)le used 
them as an additional source of hay. Prominent aniony the 
early inhabitants who settled here are the names Munroe, Tidd, 
Bowman, Bridge, Reid, Wellinoton and Merriam. Cambridge 
Farms remained the north precinct of Cambridye till hiOl when 
it was incorporated as a separate parish. 

Benjamin Estabrook was the first minister of the town at 
a salary of £40 a year, with ([uarterly contributions. After 
three 3ears the contributions were to cease and the salary be 
then fixed at £.Tt). A meetinii' house was built on the south- 
east corner of the Connnon 

where tlie marble tablet now 

stands. Mr. l'',stabrook died 

July 22, K)!'?, and on the Tth 

of November, l()!i7,.h>hn lian- 

cock of Cambridge was (-hosen 

to preach till tlu' following 

May. He was pul)licl> ordained 

November 2, ItiMS, and con- 
tinued his ministry here tor 

fifty-five years. I le was settled 

on the same terms as had been 

aoreed upon with Mr. l',sta 

brook, with £S() for settlement . 

One hundred and forty-ciiihl 

acres of "ministerial land"" 

was purchased ofCambridoe „,,v. .mus man. ,k k 

for ei;j,hteen sinllin^s, (Painttd by Smiburt; 




17 




i:i.iZAm:rii c iaiik mam oi k. 

win: OI m:v. .khin iiankk k 

(Painted by Smibert) 



Tlic town was incorpor- 
atid.is l,f\iiii;l(»ii, March ,S 1 , 
171.'!, takiiiy its iiaiiif prob- 
ably iVdni l.oid I.cxiuiildii, 
a British statcsinaii ot prftini- 
Ufiice at that tiiuc. 'J'owii 
oHict-rs w (■ r i- iiiimt'diately 
<-li()S('ii and the folhiwiiio- 
inniith the sch-ctiiicn xotfd 
[n erect a payer ot stocks "" 
as reipiired by law. Just 
wliere the stocks were built 
is iincerlaiii. l)ut probably, 
accordiirLi to coniiiion t'listorn, 
near the ineetinii^ house. 

Tiiis same \far a new 
meet invi house was l)uilt near 
the old one. It was .">() It. by U) ft. and ^iS ft. hi^ili. 'I'lie 
first school house was erec-ted in 1 7 1 •"> on thi' Coimnon where 
the granite monument now stands. 

The town eai-l\ Ixcame noted foi- its military si)irit and 
took an ai'tive part in tin' I'reneli and Indian wars. The stauneli 
character and (htermin.il ion of (lie men eompiisiiii; the militia 
were finally displayed in tin' balth- on theConunon. .\|)ril IP, 
177.'', when C'apt. .lohn i'arkei' and 7" men I'aeed (lOO trained 
soldiers of Hiitain. l,i\ini;ton nun participated in J7 different 
eampai<>'ns durinj^ the re\olution. 

The populat ion of the low n in I 77"> \\ ''is not moi-e than SOO. 
In the ('i\il war the town lurnislu'd moi-e than her full (piota. 

In 1S7.') flic town celebralcd the cenlenni.d annixersary of 
the l)attle in .an elabor.ate way. Business in Boston .and through- 
out this part ot the State was m'ncrally susiu'nded, and from an 
earlv hour people poured into Lexington by I'very possible con- 
\cyance. The streets were soon so ci'owded t!i;it carriages could 
not .•i|)proach williin a mile oi llu- centi'r. Careful estimates 
pl.aced the numl)er of \ isilors at 100, (100. The day was usheri'd 

18 



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STA'rl'K Ol 

SAJiuKi. .\i).\:\is 

IN TOWN MM 1. 



STATl K Of 
JOHN HANCOCK 
IN TOWN HA LI. 



in by a salute- of 1 Od 

ij,uiis al siiiiiisc. Ilic 

Wfatlicr was lair l)iit 

\ ery rohl tor the st-asuii, 

and till- c-\|)ci'ii'nct's at 

(linnci- in llic hiy' tent 

on tlic- (nnnnon aiul al 

t lit' ball in tlu- t'\ fninj>- 

have been an unendiiiji 

source of anecdote. 

Amon^' the i2,"uests 

of honor were President 

I'. S. Grant and his 

cabinet. One of the 

nu)st interesting- cere- 
monies of the day was 

tiie unveiling' of the 
statues of Adams and Hancock, cut from Carrara marble. The 
statue of Adams was made in Rome by Martin Milmore, a Boston 
artist. The statue of Hancock was made in Florence by Thomas 
R. Gould, also a Boston artist. The contracts stipulated that 
the statues should be deli\ered in Lexington on or ])efore Janu- 
ary 1, 187.'', but with intense anxiety their arrixal was witnessed 
by the light of a bright moon S.aturday, .April 17. 

Another important presentation to the town at this time 
was Pitcairn's pistols, by Mrs. John !'. I'utnam of Cambridge, 
N. Y. On the retreat of the British on the alfernoon of April 
19, 1 77^), a skirmish took place near Kiskc's Hill in which Maj. 
Fitcairn was woimdcd and fell from his horse. These pistols 
with the horse and accoutrements were cai)tured by the Pro- 
vincials, and later sold at auction in Concord. The holsters 
and pistols were jjurciiasfd by Nath.m Barrett, who presented 
them to (ieneral Putnam, from whom they descended to his 
grandson, the husband (deceased) of llic donor. 

At one time considcral)l(' mantilad uring w;is done in Lex- 
ington, particularly in the i'.ast \ illage. i)ut to-day the town is 

20 




DKU MAUKIXCi LINK (JF HATTI.K. 



chieriy a residential siil)iirl). There are many <>()ud farms devoted 
to gardening and the production of milk. In IST") Worcester 
was the only place in the State that produced more milk than 
Lexington. The land is rugged and much diversified. For the 
most part it is pr(»ductive and contains several rich peat meadows. 
The town is noted for its healthfulness and high elevation, be- 
ing about 10 miles from the coast and '230 feet above sea level. 

A steam railroad was built from Lexington to Boston in 
1846, and in 1!K)()-1!»U1 electric street railroads were l)uilt to 
Arlington, Bedford, Waverly, Concord, Walt ham and Woburn. 
The population of the town and valuation by 50 year periods 
has been as follows : — 1().5(), population .SO, valuation unknown ; 
1700, population '350, valuation unknown: 17.">(), population 
761, valuation unknown; ISOO, jjopulation 1006, valuation 
ISSljOS-^-OO; IS.'iO, i)opulation ISMS, valuation $1 ,8(i!),4-.").'5.00 ; 
1900, population 3S31, \aluation ii?.'), 1 S'i,060.()0 ; lUKt. po|)u- 
lation about 5000, valuation about #7,^250,000. 00. 

In 1913 the town conunemorated the two liun(ir<(ll h anni- 
versary of its incorjjoration, proceedings and addrcssi-s of which 
are now published. 

21 



BOULDER. 

Tlic words of (apt. I'arkcr ai-c IouikI in a Icttt-r hy liis 
tiraiidsoii, llieodorc l'ai-ktr, to (icoi-af Bancroft, as a Iradititni 
in tlu' Parker family. It was conrn'nicd by Col. Win. Mnnroe, 
ordc'i'ly serii'i-ant of ('apt. Parker's company. 

The estimated wci^lit of this l)oulder is fifteen tons. 
LEXINGTON COMMON. 

A connnittee was cliost^i at a piililic meetino- in I7<'7 to 
treat with Nibour Mii/zy " about the purchase ot a piece of 
land lyin<i' north of the meeting; house. Four years later iie<>(i- 
tiations were <'ompleted and in consideration of £l<) Nibour 
Muzzy "' deeded to the inhabit/inls of Cambridoe Farms a cer- 
tain parcel of land estimated to contam one ;ind one-lialt acres. 
In 17~~, the town enlaryt-d tlu- Connnon by the |iurcliase of 
an additional acre at a cost ot I'^i.'). This was tlie oriij'in of Lex- 
in<>ton Connnon, the birtiiplace of American liberty. 
BUCK MAN TAVERN. 

I'here are at least ten houses standini;' in Lexinuton to-day 
that antedate the Revolution. 

















y- - - 



23 



Of tlu- twfhe taverns once doiiiy- active business in Lex- 
iniiton, the oldest was l)uilt in ItiiM) by Benjamin Miizzey, and 
is now known as Buekman 'l"a\ern. It stands on Bedford street 
beside the old battle {iround and is now in possession of Lex- 
ington llislorical Society. It lias l)een carefully restored to 
its ori<;inal character and will be i)reserved to jxtsterity as a 
witness of the opening" scenes of the American Revolution. 

It contained the first store in town and in it the first jxtst 
office was opened in 1812. The business of this house was said 
to be more with carriage folks'" than with teamsters. It 
contained nine fireplaces and is architecturally the finest of the 
old houses in town. 

John Bui'knian, a member ot (apt. F;trker*s coni])any, was 
the landlord in ITTT), and here the miinite-men assembled on 
the morning of the battle. 

Two wounded British soldiers were brought here on the 
afternoon of the conflict, one of \\ hom died and was l)uried in 
the old c e m e t e r y . It 
proudly retains the scars 
made by British bullets 
during the onl3' official 
visit e\er i)aid to Lex- 
ingt()n by Ills Majesty's 
soldiers. The grounds sur- 
rounding the tavern were 
purchased by the town in 
I I '^ and madt' a part ol 
the town park-system. 

MONUMENT. 

On the west side of 
the old Common, on thi' 
site of Lexington's first 
school-housi'. stands the 
g r a n i t e m on u m e n t , 
erected in I ?!'!•, in memory 
of the nu'ii killed in the ni:\<)i rriosAuv soi onus" mom .-mknt 




2l 







THi: oi I) Ki:i.i iiv 



Battle of Lexinoton and 
the cause tor which they 
fought and died. It is 
probably the first monu- 
ment of the Kevolution. 

The bodies of the slain 
were originally buried in 
a common grave in the old 
cemetery, but in IS;;.") tlu' 
remains were taken up, 
placed in a lead covered 
casket, this encased in 
a mahogany sarcoi)hagus 
and deposited in a tomb 
that had been constructed 
in front of the foundation 
of this monument. Ed- 
ward Everett was the ora- 
tor of the occasion. The 

inscrijjtion on this monument was written by Rev. Jonas Clarke, 
the minister of the town from I'Ti."^ to ISO.t. (See page (>. ) 

Here, beside this old monument, Lafayette was welcomed 
to Lexington Sei)tember 'J, IS'it, and here Kossutli wasr«'cei\ed 
by the town May 11, IS.VJ. 

A copy of the inscriplion will be found facing the title page 
of this l)ook. In recent years it has become a custom on Memo- 
I'ial Day to decorate this monumi'iit with wreaths and flowt'rs. 

BELFRY. 

At a Town Meeting held June I."), iTtil, Mr. Isaac Stone 
came into said meeting and ga\e the Town a Bell to be tor the 

Town's use forevei which Bell was there, and weighed I'our 

Hundred and Sixty Three i)ounds — for witieli llie Moder.itor 
in the name of the Town relumed liim thanks. 

Then voted, To h;nig y*^ Bell on y' top of y' llill ui)on 
y*^ south side of Lieut. .lames Muniot'"s house."" 

The committee for building this '"Bell free"" remU-red 



25 




HOMi; oi :\i Aititirn- and naiiian mimioi:. 

their account tlic tollowinii year, wliicli slmws llu' cost to have 
been f^J I - hJ-^"- 10,' j'/. 

In iTtiS, it was remoN fd to tiic south sich- ot tlie Coiiunon, 
the site now ni.'U'ked by l)oul(h'r and tabht . " I lere it remained 
tor lliirty ycai's sunnnoniny tlie pcoph' to worship, \\aiaiin<;' tlu'ui 
at nine at niiiht to rake up the tires and no to lied aiul tollinj;' 
lor tlicni when, one after another, they i)assed away.'" I'roui 
t his bid try t he alarm was run i^' on the morn in uot April 1 !•. 1 7T.>. 
calbiiii' the miinite-men t<) the Conmion. It was i)urehased by 
a son ot'Capt. Parker in ITi'T.and remo\ ed to the I'arker place 
in the south part ot tiu' town where it was used tor a wheel- 
wright's shop. Tluaa' it remained till IS!'!, when it was jjre- 
sented to the Lexiayton Historical Society and remo\ ed to 
Hellr\ I nil near the sjiot where it was built. Muc-h weakened 
by dec'iy and beyond preservation, it was destroyed b\" a ji'ale 
on .lune JO, l!M)!). The Belfry, now on tin- site where the 
original w.is built, is an exact rejuoduct ion, erected by The Lex- 
ington Historical Society l!M(). The bell long ago disappeared, 



20 



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OF DK. iiSKi: 1(111 I AKi: oi woi si)i:i) miiiisii sm.uii.its. 

27 



but the ton<)-ue is treasured by tlie town as a \aluable relic oft lie 
past and may be seen in llie \ault at tlie I laueock-C'larke House. 

MARRETT MUNROE HOUSE. 

On the (i|)|)(isite side ot' the axcnue tVuni the Soldier's 
Monmnent, stands the house ot Marrett and Nathan Munroe, 
built IT'J!', thorouyhly repaired and restored to its original 
eharaeter in 1 !• 1 f). 

HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE. 

Next after the battleji'round, this old parsona<>e is the most 
interesting and important place, historically, in Lexington. 

It stands on Hancock street, about five minutes walk from 
the C'onnnon. The one-story yjunbrel rooted ell was the original 
house built by Rev. John Hancock in Itii'S. It contained a good 
sized living room and the parson's study down stairs, and two 
small, low i'hanii)ers. Rev. John Hancock, son of Nathaniel, 
was born at Cambridge 1(571, graduated from Harvard l(J8t>, 
and settled in Lexington 1097. He married Elizabeth Clark 
oiChelmsiord, and to them three sons and two daughters were 
born and reared to maturit>- in this small dwelling. The frame 
is o;ik, hewed l).\ 
hand, and s h o w s 
little signs of decay. 

hi 17.'>4' Thom.is 
Hancock, the second 
son of Rev. John 
Hancock, at this 
time a prosperous 
Boston merchant, 
built the main jtor- 
t ion ol I he house for 
his parents. T h r 
wainscolting in this 
part of the house is 
paitic-ularly han d- .Mi:i:riN(i-H()iM iAni.h:i . i.i;xiM;r()N common 

28 





KN'I'HV — MI'MIOK I'.W i:HN 

Sliowing Chair used by Gkorue Washington 
at the dinner given for liini, Nov. T), 1789. 



some. In all, there are eiglit 
rooms with a fireplace in eaeh, 
except one chamber. The 
outer walls of the main part 
of the house contain a layer 
of bricks extendino- from the 
sills to the eaves. Here Rev. 
John Hancock lived from 
U)98 till his death in 17.5'2, 
and because of his wide ac- 
quaintance and great influ- 
ence he was often called 
Bishop Hancock. 

In 1755 Rev. Jonas 
Clarke, who married a oraiid- 
daughter of Mr. Hancock, 
became the third ])astor of 
Lexington and oecujjied this 

house. He was born at Newton 17."<>, was gr.-uluatcd from 
Harvard 1752 and died in Lexington ISO.'). As ,1 m.in of ster- 
ling character, preacher and i)atriot, he exerted a |)oweitiil in- 
fluence on both private and public .iffairs. 

John Hancock, the governor .•uid signer of tlu' Declar.it ion, 
spent nnich time in his boyhood at this old home of liis grand- 
parents, and here he was \isiting in company with Sanuiel 
Adams when Paul Re\cre made his famous i-ide. 

Here, also, ;it this tiuie was the beautiful l)orotli\ (^uincy. 
John Hancock's fiancee, to whoui lu- was ui.-irried the following 
August. 

Solomon Brown of Lexingtou had lieen to m;irket .-it Boston 
April 18, and on his return late in t he ;ifternoon informed Sei-gt. 
Munroe that he had seen niin- British otiicers |);issing up the 
road. Munroe, suspecting that their intention was to eajjture 
Adams and Hancock, placed .a guard of well-;irmed men about 
this old house. Sonu' time ;ifter Paul Hesere (hiiv. red his 
message of warning, .Adams and Hancock, tor tlieir gri'ater 



29 




UOI SH: (II JON a I man II \ II II I N(i IIIN . 

safety, were condiieted to the old iwrsonaye in Hiirlinjitou and 
later to Mr. Amos Wj man's house in Hilleriea. Haiieoek sent 
a letter hack to Dorothy (^iiincy, recjuestinu lier to follow iiini 
and brinj>- \.\w Jine salmon that had been sent to tliem tor their 
diinier, which she aeeordin<)ly did. At the time of the battle 
it was all o|)en country between Mr. Clarke's house and tiie 
battle <>round, and the Hring was plainly' seen from the chambers. 
Tlu- liouse originally stood on the o|)posite side of the street 
from its present location. W itii tlic.-iid oi patriotic men and 
women in various i)arts of the country, LexinyttJn Historical 
Society |)urchased the house, removed it to its present position 
in ISi'ti, and restored it as far as possil)le to its oriiiiiial condi- 
tion. It contains the \aliiable and interestin<>' collection of the 
Historical Society. It is ke|)t open to the public throui)hout 
the yi-ar, and in 1!M.'5 was visited l)y not less tli.iii twenty-tour 
thousand people, representing almost every state in the union, 
as well as many forei<)n countries. Admission is free. On 
Sundays it is o])en on]\ in the afternoon. 



30 



MUNROE TAVERN. 

Al)out one-third the distance fnnn the center to the East 
Village, on Massachusetts Avenue, stands Munroe Tavern, built 
in l(i9.5 by William Munroe. When Rarl Percy reached Lex- 
ington with reinforcements on the afternoon of Ai)ril lit, 1775, 
he made this old hostelry liis headijuarters, and here his wounded 
soldiers were cared for, and others refreshed at the tavern's 
expense. The inmates of the tavern were liarshl^ treated and 
insulted and .Tohn Raymond, an .aged inm.ate, was ruthlessly 
shot. The front room ;it the right was the ])ar room, and in 
the ceiling is a bullet hole made by the discharge of a British 
musket. Here Washington was entertained at dinner in 1789, 
and the armchair in which he sat is still to be seen. Some time 
soon after 1770 an ell, now removed, was built on the north- 
west side of the house containing a liall about tiO x 'iO feet, in 
which balls and parties were held, and it was here that Hiram 
Lodge of Free Masons was instituted December l"i, 17^7. By 
the bequest of the late .lames S. Mum-oe, Munroe Tavern is now 
the projjerty of Lexingt(»n Historical Society and is open to visi- 
tors. It contains many and 
valuable relics. 

THE HARRINGTON 
HOUSE. 

On one corner of I'.Im 
Avenue and Bedford Street, 
about ten rods back of the 
line of the minute-men in the 
battle, is to be seen the home 
of Jonathan Harrington, who, 
wounded by a British bulUt, 
dragged himseli lotht' door 
and there died at iiis wife's 

*See Hudson's History of 
Lexing-ton — Bi-Cciitonary Edi- 
tion, 19i:{ — Vol. I. i>. 1(1. iiiioondiu: r.\UKi:i( 




31 




OM) lUKVlM. LlldlNn. II AMOt K-l I AlIKi: TOMH IN fKNTHK. 

feet. The house ()ri]i>inally was one of the most elegant of that 
period in town and was renovated in the most perfect manner 
in 1910. 

OLD NORMAL SCHOOL. 

On the opjxisite eorner from the Harrinoton house stands 
a buildiii<i' erected in 18'J'J for the Lexin<>ton Academy, which 
was discontinued .'ihout ten yi'ars l;iter. 

On .July .'), IS.')!!, tlie first normal Sciiool in America Mas 
opened here uiuler the direction of Rev. Cyrus Pierce. 

THEODORE PARKER. 

riicodori' Parker was hoi'ii on the old hoiiicstead in the 
south i)arl of Lexington, tlu'n known as " Kite J'',nd."* 

Here liis grandfather, ('apt. .lohn Parker, had lixccL and 
from this i)lace he w.-is suiniiioncd l)y t lie al.anii l)cll to coiiun.'ind 
his company, April !!•, I77'>. 

Theodore Parker was the nu)st notable man Lexington has 
ever produced. He was Ixn'ii August 'Jt, INK), in the old Intuse 



whose former location is now marked by tlie yranite moninneiit 
placed there by liis devoted parishioners. 'Flu- hctiise in wliich 
he was born was destroyed some time jii-evioiis to IS.")!). He 
was a rare scholar, a liberal thinker, a remarkable preacher, 
|)rolitic writer, a yreat ]o\ er of nature and liis fellow <-reatin-es. 
He died in Florence, May 10, KStiO, and was buried in the 
Protestant cemetery there. 

THE OLD BURYING GROUND. 

A short distant'C from Massachusetts Avenue near the. junc- 
tion of Kim Avenue and in the rear of the I nitarian Clnu'cli is 
the old buryinft <>round. It is a pleasant plot with outlook 
across broad meadows to risiny hills in the distance. 

So far as known, it contains the oldest graves in town: 
there are two or three stones bearintj; the date of KiOO, and 
probably older unmarked graves. Here the bodies of the Lex- 
ington men, killed in the battle, were originally buried in one 
grave. Here a British soldier who was wounded on April 10 
and died in Buckman Tavern April '21, 1775, was buried. It 
contains the graves of the fii'st three ministers of the town — 
Estabrook, Hancock and Clarke. In lf>84 the town erected 
a substantial granite monument over the grave of Capt. John 
Parker. A marble obelisk marks the grave of Gov. \Vni. 
Eustice, a surgeon in the Revolution and governor of Massa- 
chusetts 182.S-182.T. John Augustus was buried in tomb No. 4, 
near the entrance. He was born in Hmlinglon, Mass.. I78t. 
moved to Lexington ISO;") or IcSOtiand bought the Dr. i'iske 
property at the corner of Bedford Street and I'Jm Axinue, 
where he manufactured shoes. lie h'ft Lexington .about liS'i7 
and became famous in Boston as a reformer of criminals, in 
connection with the courts of justice, wiicrc he jx-rsonally carctl 
for over seven hundred persons. 

The Hancock tomb contains lln- remains of Uex . and Mrs. 
John H;incock. Rev. l'J)enezi'r H.'incock, Re\ . and Min. .lonas 
Clarke, Mrs. Mary Clarke Ware, — wife of Rr\ . Henry Ware, 

33 




TiiK oi.i)i:sr (iu.\\i:sr()M: in riii: oi n (.it w i:> aud. 
D.D., — ;m(l tliit'i' other t'liildmi of Mr. Clarke. The tomb 
was sealed in IcSIt, when the l.-ist (lau.uhter of" Mr. Clarke was 
buried there. 



,h)hn Greenleaf W hittier Mrote the tollowiny |)oein to ac- 
eomp.iiiy the bust of Hon. Samuel K. Sevvall in Cary Memorial 
Libr.arv : — 

Like that ancestral juiiiif who boi'e his name, 
Faithful to I'reedom ;ni<l lo 'IVulh. he yave, 

When .all the ;iii- w.is hot with wnith and blame, 
His youth .and manhood to the lettered slave. 

And ne\ei' \\ Om.-ni in her sutferinii saw 
\ hel|)er tender, wise .and hr.axe ;is he, 

Lit"tin<i' her burden of um'iiihteous law , 

He siiamed the ho.ist ot' .aneient chivalry. 

Noiseless as liyht that nulls the d.arkness is, 
lie wrouiiht ;is duly led .and honor hid. 

No trumpet hei'alds \ ictoiaes like his, 

llu' unsellish worker in his work is hid. 



34 




(.'AltV MK.MOIIIAI. l.lUltAUV. 



RELICS. 

lEXIXGTON POSSESSES MAKY INTERESTING AND VAI.tTAmi: lillliS 
OF PAST CENTURIES IMANY OK WHU H ARE REl EUKEI) TO 
EI.SEWHEHE IN THIS BOOK. 

In tlie Town Hall is a lint- oil paiiitino- S x 1 'J fr.t of \hv 
Battle of Lexin.uton h\ Ik-ury Sandliani, owned 1>\ the Lexing- 
ton Historieal Soeiety. On the frame are these inseriptions — 
"too iew to uesist. iix) uit.wi: id i iv. 

"THK DAWN OF LIBKU'IV"" 

APini. i!> — i.KxiNciTON — I ;;.■». 

(This pietiire is reproduced on tli«' cov.a- of lliis l)ook.) 
Statue of ,h)hn Hancock by Thomas H. Could. 
Statue of Sanniel Adams by Martin Milmore. 
In Hancock Church, stained nlass window in memory .d' 

Rev. Edward Crillin Porter. 

Copy of Murilh.'s " 'i'he Immaculate Con<'ept ion. ■' 

In parlor of First Parish Chur.ii, Portraits of the PaNtors 

of this Church. 

35 



GARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY 

was estal)lishe(l in ISiiS. l)y ;i yift from Mrs. Williniii 11. C'arv, 
and tlie present nieniori.-il l)uildin<>', a ^itt to the town tVoni 
Miss Aliee H. Cnvy , was dedicated in 1 !•()(). Willai'd 1). Brown 
of Lexin<iton, areliiteet. It is open every week day iVoni 10 a.m. 
to 8 P.M. it contains about '2!>,0()0 xolmnes with a capai'ity for 
50,000 voliniies; reading-, study and art rooms; a marble bust 
of Theodore Parker, made by Sidney H. Morse. INTO; a l)ust of 
Samuel K. Sewall by Miss Anne Whitney of Boston (see puye 
84i) ; a bust of Brio-. (U-n'l W'illiain Francis Bartlett ; a fine 
laroe oil paintinji' of " Columbus at tlie court of P'erdinand and 
Isabell.a of Castile,"" b> \ . Brozik of Paris; |)ortrait of Earl 
Percy, a copy by Pojjc, IST!', tVoin tlie original by Pompeo 
Bartoni; i)ortrait of Paul Revere by Jane K. Bartlett 1883, 
after Gilbert Stuart. IS I,'!; |)ortrait of William Dawes (copy), 
painter of the orioinal unknown; portrait of Col. William Mun- 
roe, Orderly Sergeant of Capt. Parker's company, l)y Green- 
wood (painted on wood): portrait of Samuel Bowman: ])ortrait 
of William H. Cary by I'.dyar Parker (from photoi)raph ) : j)or- 
trait of Mrs. William H. Cary by Kduar Parker, ISTf: oil 
paintinji'. The Axenstrasse by ,Ios. Jansen ; oil painting', .Swiss 
Scene, by L. Scliell ; oil i)ainting, The Old Mill at Hiram, 
Maine, by F. H. Shapleigh ; etc. 
HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE 

is the chief I'ejjository ol tlie town and contains the larger 
part of the collection of the Historical .Society, lunnbcring o\ er 
IT.'JO articles. Connected with this house is a connnodious tire- 
proof \ault for the i>reser\ ation of the more \aluable |)ro|)erty. 
Prominent in this collection arc jxirtraits ot Hex. and Mi^. ,lohn 
Hancock, painted by Smibert, silhouette — life size — of Rev. 
Jonas Clarke, set of Doolittle's engravings of the battle of Lex- 
ington and Concord, swoi-d of Robert Newman who hung the 
lanterns in the North Church steeple for Paul Revere, pocket- 
book of Joshua Bentley who rowed Re\ ere across the Charles 
Rixt-r on the night ol April IS, ITT-"), c.mnon balls tired by 
Ivirl i\'rcy"s tidops A|)iil !'.', 177."), nuiskets and swords used 

30 



by minute-men, silk vest and <>(>1(1 rin^- onee worn l)y (iov. 
John Hancock, ink well and sermon case and letter seal of 
Theodore Parker, lantern formerly used by Paid Ke\ere, the 
drum that beat the alarm for the minute-men to assemble, 
Maj. Pitcairn's |)istols, minature on ivory of Maj. Pilcairn, 
copied from original, tongue of the bell whieli alarmed the town 
on April \9, 1715, bill of Dr. Joseph Fiske t)f L.exington for 
caring for the wounded Hritisii soldiers, banner which welcomed 
Lafayette 18^2 4., furniture and implements of colonial days, 
valuable manuscripts and publications. 




TONGUE OF THE OLD CHURCH BELL 

ikh. on Ihe mor"."g jf Ap"l 19'''. '775. sounded Ihe Alar 

summoning the C'tizens of Le»ing1nn to fall/ and 

resist the approach of the British. 



37 





L. 


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;XlN(i TON. 



GUIDE TO PLACES OF INTEREST. 

NMsitors will tiiul it to their ;ul\;uit;ige to see the various places ill the 
following- ortler, starting at the "' minute-nian "" and going north on 
the west sitle of the Connuon. 



Fountain and Minute-man. 

Lexington Common. 

Meeting House Tablet on the Common. 

House ok Marrett and Nathan INLnhoe. 

Massachusetts Ave., beside the Coiiinion. See j). 26. 

Monument on the Common. 

Ye Old Burying Ground.'" 

Massachusetts Ave., in rear of I'irst Church. 

First Parish Church, erected 18 1-7, Isaac Melvin, 
Architect. 
Elm Ave. 

Harrington Hoise. 

Corner of Elm Ave., and Bedford .St. See p. SO. 

Normal School liuiiDiNf;. 

Elm Ave., called Historic Hall, where the first Normal 
School in America was opened July :>, 1h;}!». 



38 



10. Hancock-Clarke House. 

Hancock Street. In this old house Hancock and Adams 
were slecpiiifi' when aronscd by Paul Revere. It contains the 
valuable collection belonging- to Lexington Historical Society. 
Open to the public. 

1 1 . FisKE House. 

The home of Surgeon Fiske who cared for the provincial and 
British soldiers who were wounded April 19. 177.5. 

^^^ Returning along East Side of Common. 

12. Boulder Marking the Position of the Minute-men on 

THE Common. See p. 21. 

13. Buckman Tavern, Containing British Bullet Holes. 

Bedford St.. beside the Common. See p. "i'J. 

14. Old Belfry. 

Belfry Hill off Clarke St.. to the right near Hancock School. 
See p. 2h. 

1,5. Cary Memorial Library. 

Massachusetts Ave., open from 10 a.:m. to S p.:m. 

in. Town Hall. 

Containing the Sandham ])ainting of the Battle. 

17. Stone Cannon. 

Massachusetts Ave., on High School Grounds. 

18. Stone Tablet. 

Massachusetts Avi'.. near Bloomfield Street. 

19. Munroe Tavern. See pp. 7 and ."1. 

Massachusetts yVve., about three (piarters of a mile from the 
Common. 

20. Sanderson House. 

Near Monroe Tavern. A wouiuled British soldier was left here. 

21. House of .Ionathan Harrington, the Last Survivor 

of the Battle of Lexington. 
Massachusetts Ave., East Lexington. 

22. Tablet. 

Cor. of Pleasant Si reel and Massachusetts Avenue. Isast 
Lexington. 

23. Birthim.ace of Theodore Parker. 

About two miles south of the Common. 

24. Tablets on Concord Road. 

39 



INSCRIPTIONS ON ALL THE HISTORIC TABLETS IN THE 
TOWN OF LEXINGTON. 



ON THE STONE PULPIT ON THE COMMON. 



Site of the First Three Meeting 

Houses in Lexington 
I. Bni.r 1692 whkn tiik Town was a Pah- 
ISH oi' Cambhiix'.k. 
II. Bni.T 1713 OS riii: incoui-ouatiox of 
Lkxington. 
III. Biii.T 1794.. BriiNi:!) 1SK>. This spoi- 
ls TH IS IDKNTI II i:i) WITH TH K ToWn"s 

History for 150 ykaus. 



PASTORATES 



Bkn.iamin Estabrook 

JoHX HaN(0( K - 

Jonas Ci.ahki-: - - 

AVFRY WlLLIAJlS 

Chari.ks Briggs - - 

WlM.lAAI C. SWETT - 

Jason Whitjian - - 



lfi9i-1697 
1()9H-1752 
17,5,5-1803 
1807-181,5 
1819-1835 
I83(j-1H3<» 
1845-1846 



TABLETS ABOUT THE COMMON. 



HOI'SF. BTUI/r 1690 

KNOWN AS THK 

BUCKMAN TAVERN 
rendezvous of the 
Minute Men 
mark for british bullets 

APRIL 19, 1775 



HOUSE OF 

Jonathan Harrington 

WHO WOUNDED ON THE COMMON 

APRIL 19 1775 

DRAGGED HIMSEri" TO THE 

door am) died at his 
wife's feet 





HOI'SE OF 




M 


arrett and N 

MUNROE 


athan 




BIf I LT 1 7 '2 


9 


A 


WITNESS OF THE 


BATTLE 



LINE 


OF THE 


.XHNL'TE 


MEN 




APRIL 1 


• ) 


1775 




STAND YOl 


R (1 HOUND don' 


r 1 iiti: UNI 


i:ss Mui:n 


UPON BUT 


IF THEY JIE 


\N 


TO HAVE \ 


WAii ii:r 


IT BEGIN HERE 














— Captain 


Parker 



STONE TABLET, COR. PLEASANT ST. 



NEAR THIS SPOT AT EARLV DAWN ON THE 19tH 

OF April. 1775, Ren.ia^iin Wellington, 

A .MINUTE MAN, WAS ST II I'li IS C 1) UV HhITISH 
SCOUTS AND DlSAiniKI). WITH rNDAlNrKI) 
COURAGE HE BORIIOWEI) ANOTHER GI'N AND 
HASTENED TO JOIN HIS COMRADES ON I>EX- 

INGTON Green mi: also si:i<\ i:i) his » ounthy 

AT WHITE PLAINS AND SARAT0C;A. THE FIRST 
ARMED MAN TAKEN IN THE REVOLUTION 



BIRTHPLACE OF 

Deliverence Munroe 

DAUGHTER OK 

NLVRRETT AND DeI.IVERENCE MuNROE 

AND Will: OF 

Ensign John Winship 

HIS TABLET PLACED BY DEI.IVERENC E MUNROE 

CHAPTER DAl'GHTEKS OF REVOLUTION 

MARCH 1900 



TABLET ON THE OLD BELFRY. 



THIS BELFRY WAS ERECTED ON THIS HILL IN 17(il 
AND HEMO\KI) TO THE CO.-MAION IN 17(i8. In 

ir WAS III NG riu: iu:i i wiik ii king oi t 

iiii: Ai Aim (IN iHi: li'rii oi- ai'mii 177.5 

IN 1 ?!'? IT WAS ui;mi)\ i:i) lo iiii: i'\HKi:it iio>ie- 

sTiAi) IN iin: soriii I'Aiir oi iiii: town 

IN ISiU II WAS BHoriiirr hack to iiiis spot by 

THE Lexin(;t()n Historical Society 

REBUILT 1910 



40 



TABLETS ON HANCOCK STREET. 



BUIT.T 169H ENl.AKGKD IV.U 

KKSIDEN'CK OK 

Rev. John Hancock .55 years 

AND OF HIS SUCCESSOR 

Rev, Jonas Clarke .50 years 

HKRE Samuel AdaiMS and John Hancock 

were sleeping when aroused by 

Paul Revere April 19. 177.5 





B 


U I I. T 1 1 3 2 
HOUSE OF 






Dr. 


Joseph Fi.ske 




WHO ATTENDED THE WOUNDED APRII, 1!) 177,J 


AND 


SERVED IN 


THE CONTINENT. 


\I, AU.MV 


AS 


SURGEON 


THROIGHOUT in 


: WAR 



STONE TABLETS ON THE CONCORD ROAD. 



at this well april 19 1775 
James Hayward of Acton 

MET A BRITISH SOLDIER WHO RAISING HIS GUN 

SAID YOU ARE A DEAD MAN 

AND SO ARE YOU REPLIED HaYWARD 

BOTH FIRED THE SOLDIER WAS INSTANTLY 

KILLED AND HaYWARD MORTALLY 

WOUNDED 



THE SITE OF THE OLD BELFRY. 



This Bluff was used as a Rallying 
Point by the British 

April li* 177.5 

AITER A SHARP FIGHT THEY RETHEXTFD TO 

FisKE Hill from which they wiiue 

DRIVEN IN GREAT CONFUSION 



STONE CANNON. HIGH SCHCOL GROUNDS. 



The Site of the Old Belfry 

from which the alarm was hung 

April 19 177,) 

this tablet was erected by the lexington 

chapter daughters of the ajierican 

revolution 1910 

MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE. 



NEAR THIS SPOT 

EARL Pf:RCY 
with reenforcejients planti 
ldpiece to cover the retrea'! 
British Troops 
APRIL 19 177.5 



MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE. 



Karl Percy's 

HEADyUARTERS AND HoSPITAL 

APRII. 19 177.5 

THE MLNROE TAVERN 

BI'ILT 1695 



On the Hill to the South was Planted 

One of the British Fiei.dpieces 

APRIL 19 1775 

to command the vilt age 

AND ITS APPROACHES AND NEAR 'illlS PI .\( i: 
SEVERAL BUILDINGS WERE HURMD 



EAST LEXINGTON. 









HOME 


OF 










Jonathan H 


arrington 












riii: I 


\ST 








Si- 


tvnoR oi 


Til 


K B.vi 


TLE 


OF Lexington 1 


Born 


.JULY 8 1 


758 




DIED JIARtH 


-27 


1854 



41 



BRONZE TABLET — EAST LEXINGTON. 



CHARLES POLLEN 

HOFIN IN IlKSSK-DAKMSTADT 

ski'ti:mi{i:k 4 179(i 

A IKAItLESS ADXOtATE OK LIBERTY AND JISTU E EXILED FOU CONSCIENCE SAKE HE SOl'GHT 
IN A.MEHKA THE IREEDOM DENIED HIM IN THE OLD WORLD DISTIXGCISHED FOR RICH AND 
VAIilED LEARNING FOR UNCOMPROMISING DEVOTION TO THE CAUSE OF THE OITRESSED AND 
ENSLAVED AND FOR THE SIMPLICITY AND INTEGRITY OF HIS CHARACTER HE ORGANIZED IN 

THIS TOWN THE FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND BECAME ITS FIRST PASTOR DESIGNED THE 

OCTAGON MEETING HOUSE HERE ERECTED AND OX HIS WAY TO ITS DEDICATION WAS LOST IN 

THE BURNING OF THE STEAMBOAT "" LEXINGTON " ' 

ON LONG ISLAND SOUND JANUARY 18 1S40 

THIS TABLET ERECTED 191,J 



TABLET ON THE ROAD TO CONCORD. 

(IN THE TOWN OF LINCOLN.) 



AT THLS POINT. 

ON THE OLD CONCORD ROAD AS IT THEN WAS. 

ENDED TPH^ INHDNIGHT RIDE OP 

PAUL REVERE. 

HE HAD. AT AHOIT TWO o'cLOCK OF THE :M0RNING OI' VPUTL 19 177.!>. llli: NICWIT Hi:iNG 
I LliAK AND THE MOON IN ITS THIRD QUARTER, GOT THIS FA It ON HIS WAY FROM LeXINGION 

TO Concord, alarming the inhabitants as he went, when he and his co.mpanions. 

\\'ii.i.i AM Dawes, oi Boston, and Dr. Samuel Prescott, of Concord, were 
siDDENiv n \i.ri:i) isv a Bimisn patrol, who had stationed themselves at this bend 
OI riii; liciAP. 1) \wi:s TiitN IN-.: hai k. .madi: his i:scapi:. Piii:sc ott, cli:ahin(; tmi: stone 

WAl.I.. AND lOI. LOWING A PAIII KNOWN TO 1 1 1 M THKOrGH Till: LOW GUOCNI). ItlUiAINi:!) THE 
IIUiinVAY A'T A POINT lUUTIIEU ON, AN!) GA\ E Till: ALARM A'T CoNCOUI). RkVFKE 'TlilKD TO 

iii:ai II Tin: n i:iGni!on inc. wood, nri' was inteiu epti:i) by a party oi oii uehs 

AC COMI'AN X INi; TIIL PATltOI. ni;T\INII) AND KEPT IN AUUEST. PRESENTLY HE WASCAUHIED 

BY Tin: I'ATUoi. BACK 'TO Lexin(;ton, there released, and'ihat mohninc; joined 

Hancock and Adams, 'j'hree men oi' Lexington, Sanderson, Brown and Loring, 

STOPPED AT AN i:ahi ii:n hour of the night by the same pathoi.. 

WEin; Ai so taken back with Revere 



42 




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